Essay Example on Whilst researching anthropomorphism I've uncovered a few interesting Questions

In this penultimate chapter I ll be discussing the points I've raised during my critical reflections on my case studies The Jungle Book Brother Bear and Winnie the Pooh Whilst researching anthropomorphism I've uncovered a few interesting questions I want to discuss Firstly I want to raise the question why are bears so often used in animated movies This question does not have a simple answer however I believe there are many different reasons as to why we do this The sheer number of animated movies that include an anthropomorphised bear make it difficult to depict one solid answer animated features have always incorporated anthropomorphic characters from as early as Gertie the Dinosaur 1914 through today s computer animated features such as Madagascar 2005 Atkinson 2018 Anthropomorphic animals in animated movies has been popular for over a century since the early years of cinema I believe the main reason behind the use of anthropomorphic bears is due to the creative decision to enhance their main features such as eyes and mouth The unrealistic nature of the eyes and mouth make it easier to portray human emotion onto these anthropomorphised animals which in turn makes them more relatable to the target audience and increases their likeability which links to previous points I've discussed such as the success of Winnie the Pooh 

This unrealistic portrayal can dramatically impact children's perception of these bears which could desensitise them from the real world dangers bears pose This desensitisation goes against natural human instinct supported by the following quote There was a time in our evolutionary history when animals and insects were daily enemies and for young children fear of raw animal potency is apparent in dreams Mallon 2002 68 Today most young children have a stuffed toy or teddy bear to which they are attached to Most films that include anthropomorphised bears and animals are likely to be aimed at children as they re able to relate to these characters due to their own experiences with children s animal toys Being able to associate with these characters allows children to feel comfort and enjoyment when viewing these films This shows the positive impacts animated movies can have on young children while subtly introducing them to deeper moral topics such as learning to deal with loss as shown in Brother Bear Kenai losing his brother Another positive impact of anthropomorphising animals means we're able to introduce a wide variety of animals to young children in an easy to understand manner